Northwest Salmon and Steelhead Fishing

What continues hot is still fishing Roses Lake for Rainbow Trout. Also, continuing hot, is trolling the deep water above the Narrows on Lake Chelan for quality Lakers. Additionally, now that the ice is off of it, Antilon Lake is pumping out nice Brown Trout.

It has been great fishing for rainbows on Roses Lake. To spice up the standard fare of overwintering 9 inch and 12 inch rainbows, WDFW planted some nice jumbo fish…and… the big Channel Cats are getting active. Try still fishing with Pautzke’s Firebait in the American Wildfire on a slip sinker rig with a 30” leader. Hang on, if you get one of those big catfish.
On Chelan, fish the deep water above the Narrows. Worden Lures T4 Purple Glow Flatfish and Mack’s Lures Cha Cha Squidders were the most productive Lures up there. Speed your presentation up to around 1.6 or 1.7mph for best effect. This is an early morning gig.
Antilon Lake is pumping out good numbers of 12 to 15 inch Brown Trout. We trolled wooly buggers and muddlers on a full sink line to catch our fish. Carry out some trash with you if you go. Slobs have made a mess of the access area.
Your fishing tip of the week is to gear up for the kokanee. I’m seeing morning water temps getting close to the magic 50 degree mark on Chelan. That should ignite the bite. Mack’s Lures wedding rings and Pautzke’s Fire Corn should be paired to catch these tasty dwarf landlocked sockeye. Mack’s Lures attractors such as Hot Wings and Flash Lites will provide low drag attractors.
The kid’s tip of the week is to make a game out of it and tell stories. Sandy read a couple of our young grandkids the “Button Soup” fairy tale and had them help her make “Button Soup” complete with the button… They really got into it. They helped add ingredients, set the table and kept asking to check the button. When we fish, I frequently tell them that God went to fishermen first to help his boy. It piques their interest.
Your safety tip of the week is a potpourri. First, remember to check your hubs for grease. Having a wheel fall off can be embarrassing. Not that I’d know from experience… Also, this is the time to remember ice to keep those fish cold. They will remain safe and delicious far longer as the weather warms if you put them on ice. Drag them in the water or throw them in an un-iced box and they will get soft and spoil quicker. Last, but not least, now that we are having loads of sunshine, remember the sunscreen.

Go to our Facebook page: Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service for daily updates, tips and timely specials.

http://www.darrellanddads.com/ or 1-866-360-1523







Pictured: 4/21/12 - Fishing Buddies - Steve Miller, Loon Lake; Rick Barresi, Post Falls, ID; Jeremy Murphy, Colbert and Justin Kimball, Airway Hgts with their catch of Lake Chelan Mackinaw and a Rainbow Trout.

Also Pictured: 4/21/12 - Rick again with that 3.5 lb. Lake Chelan Rainbow!

Finally Pictured: 4/16/12 - Mike Carey of WashingtonLakes.com with his 5+ Roses Lake Channel Catfish.